“You did, then you sent it to me.” I frown, thinking we must be good friends if I have her number and trusted her to take Jacob on a horse. I suddenly feel exhausted and can’t stop the yawn that escapes my lips.
“I think that might be our cue to leave,” my dad says with a chuckle. He pulls me into a hug while my mum presses a kiss on my cheek. “We’ll come back in the morning with Jacob. Try and get some rest.”
“See you tomorrow, Jack,” Aria says quietly from the end of my bed.
“Bye, Aria.”
“Zara, are you ready to leave?” my mum asks as she links her arm with Aria.
“Oh, no. I’m staying with Jack.” She reaches for my hand, pressing her lips across my knuckles.
“There’s no need, Zara. I’m fine. You should go back to the ranch and be with Jacob.”
“Jacob will be fine with Savannah. I almost lost you today. I’m not letting you out of my sight.” She climbs onto the bed, pressing her body against mine. Hearing the door open, I look up to see Aria leaving.
“Is she okay?” I ask my mum, who’s glaring at Zara.
“She suddenly feels a little sick. She’s just gone for some air. I’ll make sure she’s okay. We’ll see you tomorrow.”
Once the door closes behind them, I wrap my arms around Zara and kiss her on the head. “Is everything okay between you and my mum? You haven’t had an argument or anything, have you?”
“What? No! Why would you think that?”
I shake my head. “She seemed a little off, that’s all. It’s probably nothing.”
“She’s just worried about you. You gave us all a scare.”
“Yeah, I guess.” I yawn again. “I have loads of questions, Zar, but right now I need to sleep. Maybe I’ll wake up and remember everything.”
“Maybe,” she whispers before tilting her head and capturing my lips with hers. She moans as her tongue pushes into my mouth. I kiss her back, but something feels off, and I pull out of the kiss, a niggling doubt creeping into my mind. Dropping my head back onto the pillow, I feel guilty as I tighten my hold on her and close my eyes, giving in to sleep.
* * *
I groanas daylight filters through the blinds. It’s a welcome change to be woken by sunlight as opposed to nurses taking my vitals every hour. By the time I’d manage to fall back to sleep, it was time to be woken again. Zara had slept through every check and is still nestled against my chest. There is still a pounding in my head, but it seems a little less than yesterday, which is surprising considering my lack of sleep. I’ve no idea what time it is, but I need to pee. Gently moving Zara off my chest, I wince as I slide off the bed, my whole body aching.
After using the toilet, I glance in the mirror above the sink and frown looking at the large bandage wrapped around my head, dried blood matting my dark hair. Desperate for a shower, I make my way through my room and out into the corridor. I head for the nurses’ station and I hear someone call my name.
“Mr. Davis, what are you doing out of bed?”
Turning, I see one of the nurses rushing toward me. “I needed to pee.”
“You do know you have a bathroom in your room?” She takes my arm and ushers me back along the corridor.
“Yes, I know. I wanted to ask if I could have a shower. I have blood in my hair.”
She looks up at me as if I’ve asked her to give me a lap dance. “Mr. Davis—”
“Jack, please,” I tell her, cutting her off.
“Fine. Jack. You have twelve stitches in the back of your head, not to mention a fractured skull. You need to be in bed.”
“Well, when can I have a shower?”
“You can’t get the wound wet for a couple of days. You can have a shower later this morning if you don’t get your hair wet.” She pushes open the door to my room and leads me inside. “You’ll need help in the shower. I’ll ask one of the nurses to come after the doctor’s been. Now, please, get into bed.” She gestures to the bed, only to see Zara fast asleep. “Mrs. Davis,” she says loudly, waking Zara up.
“We’re not—” I’m about to tell her we aren’t married, but the truth is I’ve no idea if we are or not. A feeling of foreboding washes over me at the thought I might be married and not even know.
“Your husband needs to be in his bed. This is not a hotel.”